Welding of glass fibres onto large-scale substrates with high mechanical stability and optical quality

In optical data transmission, adherence is the common method for joining optical components like fibres and lenses. Adhesive joints however have some disadvantages. The transmittable optical power is limited and the boundary layer causes undesired reflections. An alternative method for joining fibers with lenses is welding using laser radiation. The irradiation pattern is designed in such a way, that the fibre is welded to the substrate around its whole circumference. Therefore a ring shaped beam is formed by a novel focusing device based on the Schwarzschild objective. The results of the welding experiments show significantly improved characterisitcs of the joint.